Pakistan moves to reset ties with Bangladesh as China factor grows

Pakistan is stepping up efforts to reset ties with Bangladesh amid growing Chinese influence in the region. Following Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’ visit to China, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is preparing for a visit to Dhaka — marking the first high-level visit from Islamabad since 2012, when former Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar travelled to Bangladesh.

Ahead of Dar’s visit, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch will travel to Dhaka on April 17 to set the stage for the diplomatic engagement.

Confirming the upcoming visit, Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain told local reporters, “It has been finalised that he will come. We will be able to confirm the date within the next couple of days.” Official dates are expected to be announced soon, with sources indicating the visit could take place between April 20 and 21.

The trip is expected to lay the groundwork for a revised framework agreement between the two nations. Key items on the agenda include defence cooperation, fighter aircraft procurement from China, training mechanisms, and a student exchange programme starting this week. Intelligence-sharing initiatives and the Pakistan-Bangladesh Political Consultative Meeting are also likely to be discussed.

These developments come at a time when diplomatic dynamics are shifting in the region following the exit of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August last year. India is watching the evolving ties between Bangladesh, Pakistan, and China closely.

India’s ties with Bangladesh have been strained since Hasina ouster. There has been an increase in attacks on minorities in Bangladesh under the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus. India has repeatedly raised the issue with the neighbouring country.

Recently, Muhammad Yunus sparked a controversy after he invited China to expand its influence in India’s northeastern states. During a high-level meeting on his visit to China, Yunus urged Beijing to establish an economic foothold in Bangladesh by leveraging its strategic position as the “only guardian of the ocean” for the “landlocked” northeastern region of India.

The remark drew sharp condemnation from Indian leaders across the political spectrum, who deemed the comment provocative and unacceptable.

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